The Castlegar RCMP are continuing their investigation into the alleged criminal behaviour of 28-year-old Sean Patrick Byrne from Lake Country, BC, which spanned over a two day period. Byrne faces potential charges ranging from dangerous driving, flight from police, theft and attempted robbery.

The Castlegar RCMP first had contact with Byrne on Nov. 6, when, at approximately 1:30 a.m., an officer attempted to stop a pick-up truck for a burnt out headlight on Robson Access Road near Castlegar. Byrne refused to stop and fled at a high rate of speed, at which time the officer did not initiate a pursuit.

The officer observed the vehicle enter an eventual dead-end road and observed it once again, when turned around and sped past the officer. A second marked police unit attended the area to assist and spotted the vehicle on the Robson Bridge. The suspect driver then pulled a U-turn and headed back towards the police vehicle and struck it, then sped away.

The patrolling officers spotted the truck a third time, as it sped down another dead and attempted to set up a spike belt, however the suspect truck came back at a high rate of speed before the officers could deploy the spike belt. The truck accelerated past the unoccupied police vehicles and failed to negotiate a sharp corner at the intersection of Lakeview Street and Arrow Lakes Drive, striking a no post cement barrier, becoming lodged on top of it. The officers ran to the truck and took Byrne into custody at that time.

Officers located just over $10,000 cash and a small amount of suspected methamphetamine and a small amount of cannabis in the truck. Byrne, uninjured, was processed that night and eventually released.

On the morning of Nov 7, it is alleged that Byrne assaulted and attempted to rob a female while she was giving him a ride. The female managed to get away and Byrne stole her vehicle. Witnesses then observed the stolen vehicle drive at a very high rate of speed through a large construction zone on Columbia Avenue, almost running over a flagger and several workers. The suspect fled Castlegar westbound on Hwy 3 until he got a flat tire.

It was reported that he then tried to force an unsuspecting motorist in a pick-up truck off the road. The pick-up eventually stopped, avoiding a collision, however the male assaulted the driver of the pick-up and tried to steal his truck. A passing semi-truck driver observed the incident and stopped to render assistance and the man was subdued. The male negotiated his release and then attempted to steal the semi-truck. Eventually the semi-truck driver was able to gain control of the male and held him for police.

Investigators confirmed that it was one and the same individual that had been released from custody. Byrne appeared in Rossland court today and has been held in custody until Dec. 6. The male, identified as Sean Patrick Byrne from Lake Country, is now facing a total of 13 charges including robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, impaired driving, assault, and assault with a weapon, theft, possession of stolen property, and drug charges, said Cpl Dan Moskaluk.